psychology of aggression

1. BY HEBA ESSAWY
PROF. PSYCHIATRY M.D., CEDS.,
MEDICAL SCHOOL
AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY
Psychology
Of Aggression And Violence

2. Learning Objectives
 Definition
 Predictors Of Aggression
 Models of Aggression
 Determinants of Aggression
 Prevention and Treatment

3. Definition
Aggression
A Form of behavior directed toward the goal of
harming or injuring other individual who are
motivated to avoid it .
Characteristics
 Can be phycical, Verbal , sexual and emotional.
 Intended to cause pain or harm.
 People can avoid such treatment or may fight back.

4. Violence
 Definition
 Violence is not synonymous of aggression
 A type of aggression
 Causing exteme a
 Harm among individuals of a particular kind
 All violence is an aggression ,but many instances of
aggression are not violent

5. Learning Objectives
 Definition
 Predictors Of Aggression :
Personal Factor
Social Factor
Medical Factor
 Models of Aggression
 Determinants of Aggression
 Prevention and Treatment

6. Predictors Of Aggression
Personal Factor :
 Seek the superior position in any relationship .
 Frequent Threats.
 Access to instrument Of Violence.
 Chronic Anger and Hostility and irritability .

7. Predictors Of Aggression
Social causes :
 Enjoy in watching harm.
 Self View as Victim.
 Childhood Deprivation.
 Early Loss of parents.
 Prior Violent Act.
 Fire Setting , cruelty to animals.
Social causes :
 Enjoy in watching harm.
 Self View as Victim.
 Childhood Deprivation.
 Early Loss of parents.
 Prior Violent Act.
 Fire Setting , cruelty to animals.

8. Medical causes :
 Toxic and organic state (Substance abuse ).
 Profound Mental Disability.
 Florid Psychosis.
 Conduct Disorder.
 Epilepsy.
Predictors Of Aggression

9. Learning Objectives
 Definition
 Predictors Of Aggression
 Models of Aggression :
-Biological Model
-Psychological Models
 Psychoanalytic Theory
 Humanistic Theory
 Social Learning Theory
 Determinants of Aggression
 Prevention and Treatment

10. MODELS OF AGGRESSION
 Biological Basis of Aggression
* Anatomical Basis.
*Biochemical and hormonal substrate .
*Chromosomal abnormalities .
 Psychological
*Psychoanalytical Theory.
*Humanistic Theory.
*Social Learning theory.

11. A-Biological Basis of Aggression
A) Anatomical Basis ( Neural Substrates):
- Limbic System.
- Amygdala.
- Temporal Lobe.
- Hypothalamus.
- RAS.
- Cerebral Cortex.

12. 1-LIMBIC SYSTEM MODEL
CORTEX
↓
RAS
↓↓
Hippocampus Amygdala for
For relaxation fight
Hypothalamus

13. 2-Neurotransmitters
♦ 5HT → Impulsive Bebavior.
♦NE → Arousal
♦DA→ Psychomotor agitation.
♦GABA → Disinhibition

14. 3-Hormonal Aetiology
♦Estrogen → ↓aggression in Receptive period.
♦Progesterone → Increase aggression.
♦Prolactin → Increase aggression( birds).
♦ ACTH → Modulate aggression.
♦Testosterone → Increase aggressive.
♦Thyroid Hormones→ Increase aggression

15. B-Psychological Models
 ◊ Psychoanalytical Theory.
-Freudian school.
- Lorenz s view
- Addller s View.
- Mc Dougall s View
 ◊ Psychoanalytical Theory.
-Freudian school.
- Lorenz s view
- Addller s View.
- Mc Dougall s View

16. Psychoanalytic Theory
 Aggression as an instinctive behavior
♦ Freudian:
* Human behavior stemmed from interplay
between two basic Instincts:
►Eros ( life , sex, reproduction).
► Thanatos( Death , aggression).

17. Psychoanalytic Theories
 Aggression developed during :
-Oral Phase : pleasure of biting with sucking .
 Fixation Of oral phase ───> sadistic personality
 Impaired development of superego.
 Secondary to defensive mechanism.

18. Psychoanalytic Theory
 Impaired mother child relationship:
_ punitive Parents.
_ Sex Difference more in boys .
_ Socio – economic Factors.
Comments:
* Catharsis: discharge of destructive energy.
* Freud had pessimistic view.
* Aggression is inevitable, Innate , not avoided.
* Lead to self and other destruction .

19. Psychoanalytic Theories
 Lorenz view
- Fighting Instincts during evolution
to Protect Human territory.
- Direct Behavior -------→ Creativity .
- Civilization reached from Aggression
- Love & friendship can block aggression.
♣optimistic, can be rechallenged to non injurious
acts as love, friendship

20. Psychoanalytic Theories
 Addller s View:
- Striving for Superiority.
- perfection.
 Mc Dougall s View :( instinct)
- replace physical aggression to:
* sarcastic smiles.
*Polished insulting words.
* If fails , individual regerss to primitive way of
behavior.

21. Humanistic Theory
Aggression is
1- Product Of Frustration
2- Resulting of blocking goal in life .
SO, Frustration → arousal of drive → Harming
persons or objects.

22. When Are People Aggressive?
• Situational Factors
• Frustration-Aggression theory -- frustration
always leads to aggression
• Study
• Young children in room with toys
• ½ can’t play with toys, then allowed to play
• ½ can play with toys
• Results: frustrated kids destroyed the toys

23. When Are People Aggressive?
• Situational Factors
• Frustration-aggression theory
• Closeness of goal as a factor of frustration-aggression link
• Study
• Confederate cut in line in front of people
• ½ time cut in front of 2nd person in line
• ½ time cut in front of 12th person in line
• Results: people standing behind intruder more aggressive
when confederate cut 2nd person in line (closer to their goal)

24. When Are People Aggressive?
• Situational Factors
• Frustration-Aggression theory
• Aggression increases when frustration is unexpected
• Study
• Students hired to call strangers for donations
• Students worked on a commission
• ½ students expected a high rate of contributions
• ½ students expected far less success
• Experiment rigged so donors did not donate
• Results: callers with high expectations were more verbally
aggressive toward the non-donors

25. 3-Social learning Theory
 Albert Bandura s View:
- Learned behavior .
- Reinforced by rewards.
- Not born with repertoire of aggression
- Acquired through past experience .

26. “Modeling”
Learn how to behave
prosocially
Learn how to behave
aggressively
Social Learning
Theory (Bandura)

27. “Bobo” doll study
½ kids watched
adult beat up doll
½ kids not
exposed to the
behavior
Kids allowed to play
with doll
Results??
Social Learning
Theory (Bandura)

28. Learning Objectives
 Definition
 Predictors Of Aggression
 Models of Aggression
 Determinants of Aggression
-Social Determinants
- Environmental Determinants
- Situational determinants
 Prevention and Treatment

29. Determinants of Aggression
 SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
Frustration
Direct Provocation
Media Violence
 Environmental Determinants.
 Situational Determinants.

30. SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
 Direct Provocation:
- Physical or Verbal Abuse.
once begins ───> Unsetting pattern of Escalation.
 Exposure to Aggressive Model -------> Media violence.

31. Special Case: Media Violence
 Procedure (Liebert & Baron, 1972)
 ½ children exposed to an extremely violent
show
 ½ children exposed to nonviolent sporting
event
 Each child allowed to play in another room with
a group of children
 Observed aggression/violence in children’s
playing

32. Social determinants
Media Violence:
 Disinhibition .
 Desensitization.
 Arousal of Aggressive feeling.
 Encouragement Of Risk Taking.
 ↑Exposure to violent material ---------->
↑violent fantasies.

33. Social Determinants
 Relies on :
1. Role Modeling .
2. Identification.
3. Human Interaction.
 Learned By :
* Imitation.
* Reinforced
 Relies on :
1. Role Modeling .
2. Identification.
3. Human Interaction.
 Learned By :
* Imitation.
* Reinforced

34. Enviromental Determinants
 Air Pollution:
Exposure to noxious odors .
Fumes.
Cigarette smoke.
 Noise.
 Crowding .
 Heat more then 32c .

35. Situational Determinants
 Heightened Physiological Arousal:
- Stress.
- Anxiety.
- Participation in Competitive Activities.
- Vigorous Exercise.
- Exposure to Pain .

36. Learning Objectives
 Definition
 Predictors Of Aggression
 Models of Aggression
 Determinants of Aggression
 Prevention and Treatment

37. Prevention & Control Of Aggression
 Punishment.
 Catharsis.
 Social Skill Training.
 Induction Of Incompatible Behavior.
1. 1-Empathy.
2. 2-Humor.

38. Pharmacotherapy
- Drugs promote Serotonin. (↓impulsivity)
-Drugs block dopamine
(↓drive & motivation for aggression).
- Antiepileptic (↓Kindling).
- Mood stabilizer( Lithium ).
- Hormonal treatment.
- Psychosurgery

39. THANK S

40. Chromosomal abnormalities
 Don’t blame me; it’s my genes!
 Fresnan, et al. (2007) showed that schizophrenic
patients possessing the “novelty-seeking” gene (7R
allele on DRD4
 Low monoamine oxidase A activity has long been
linked to antisocial behavior, MAOA is nicknamed
the “warrior gene.”

41. CONTROL OF AGGRESSION
 1- OPTIMISTIC VIEW:
* Behavioral Therapy
* Behavioral Cognetive Therapy.
 2- Pessimistic view:
* Observational.
* Disinhibition .
* Desensitization.

42. Maslow Hierarchy

44. How aggression begins ?
 Conditions producing aggressive impulses.
 Person have violent thoughts or fantasies.
 If loose control, thoughts become acts.

45. Television Violence
 Has a short – term stimulation effect on aggressive
behavior.
 Portrays the world as a more hostile place.
 Justified Violence.
 Cues aggressive ideas in children.

46. COGNITIVE THEORY
- Obtaining , organizing and using intellectual
knowledge .
- Mental operation & store bits in memory to be
retrived.
- relies on understanding.
- Understanding the connection between cause and
effect.

47. Situational Factors
 Sexual Arousal:
* Depend on the erotic material .
* Erotica are mild → Aggression is low.
* If Explicit ----------→ Aggression is high.
 Pain:
*Arouse agg. Drive.
* Aggression to any target.

48. Aggerssion
 Aggression by force.
 Verbal Aggression.
 Formed of destructive behavior that can endanger
life or produce adverse effects on victims .
Excitement : ↑ psychomotor activity in psychiatric
problem.

49. DEFINITION
♣ Forms of Aggression :
∂. Tendency to be physically assaultive : violence
& force.
∂. Indirect expressed hostility.
∂. Verbally expressed anger.
∂. Humors.
∂. Rumors.

50. THANK s

51. Chromosomal Abnormalities
 Twin Studies
 Chromosomal influence.
 In inborn error in metabolism.
 Genetically determined diseases.

52. Humanistic Theory
2-Arise from deprivation from basic human needs (Maslow).
- To Control : Accepting environment.
Fulfill basic needs.
Expression himself without humiliation.
→→ AGGRESSION is evitable through
satisfaction of basic needs.

53. Humanistic Theory
Basic Concepts ( Drive )
1 - Is elicited drive depends on external factors as
pain
humiliation
loss of faith
Arousal of a strong motive to engage in harming Others.

54. Defensive mechanism.
 Projection .
 Narcissism.
 Repression.
 Introjection .
 Displacement.